Hi gang,
I've been successful finding what I need to know to keep running off this forum for the last few years; *plug, plug, plug for VFRD!!!* In fact, I located info on replacing the Reg/Rec on my 92 VFR from this forum a year ago or so. Since then I've been through 2 of them!
I am thinking of buying a universal heavy duty one this time and possibly moving it to on top of the fender. Does anyone think this is a bad idea?
What I would really like though, is any advice on how to attack the symptom of this problem. It seems that replacing Reg/Rec�s every year is just a band-aid for an over-heating problem... I ride a lot in the inner-city in stop and go traffic, so the engine fan keeps the engine temp ok but the rest of the bike gets really toasted up.
This year I tried switching back to the stock exhaust can but am still generating too much heat on the exhaust side of the frame. Any ideas?
Thanks. :unsure:
What have you been using as replacements?
The first one was an OEM Reg/Rec for a 90 VFR, the second one was a OEM from Parts plus for a 97 CBR1100. They both looked exactly like the stock one (at least I assume it was stock) that was on the bike when I got it - black with rubber/gel sort of coating on one side and metal on the back.
I just stripped the bike down, the coolant looks good and at the right level. I assume the thermostat is good because the engine isn't over-heating...
Thanks for the reply.
I'd check the rest of the system and see how much voltage you're putting out when the bike is running. Could be something wrong elsewhere in the system, that's working the R/R harder than it should be. And they can't take much; they're a marginal design even when everything is right.
If the rest of the system checks out, you could install some driving lights to use up some of the excess power that would otherwise be dumped to the R/R as heat.
I've seen lots of cooling schemes but haven't ever tried any, so can't help there.
I've got a volt meter hard wired to the battery (very nice to have) and it reads 13.6 to 14.4 while the bike is running so I assume the electrical system is working fine. The volt meter is extremely handy for when the reg/rec burns out, it drops to 5 -7 volts when trying to start so I can tell the problem instantly.
Still no anwsers as to why the frame gets so hot. I wonder if wrapping the exhaust pipes between the engine and exhaust chamber would reduce forward engine heat?
On a side note, this bike is from Florida so I can't see how this could have been a long term problem. The temp is so much hotter there that it wouldn't last a minute without getting hot and burning out the reg/rec.
Looking to keep cool in the summer heat! :unsure:
[image: View Post]Liggat, on Aug 30 2008, 12:47 AM, said:
I am thinking of buying a universal heavy duty one this time and possibly moving it to on top of the fender. Does anyone think this is a bad idea?
I've relocated the R/R on my 3rd gen to the rear fender sitting on top of a large heatsink, it about halved the operating temp.
Check this thread for more info on overheating R/Rs.
Thanks V4 Rosso for the link. Very helpful info!
I understand now that the R/R is the culprit for generating most of the heat in this area not the exhaust.
I am going to order the heavy duty R/R (all metal with cooling fins built in) and try it out in the same location but maybe with a spacer/washers added to keep it off the frame a little to let air get around both sides of it.... unless this is a bad idea because it will reduce the units ability to transfer heat?
The "new" OEM reg/rec is all-metal with cooling fins. No Honda dealer should be selling you the old, potted design reg/recs, so I assume these weren't purchased new from a dealer?
The new style also comes with an alloy plate that mounts between the frame and the new reg/rec, so I think the idea is that the frame is no longer to be relied upon as a cooling device. However, there isn't a lot of air flow in the area where the reg/rec sits, so I actually relacated mine to the bottom of the triple clamp (displacing the horn, which went elsewhere). No issue with air flow in that location, but it means running five wires essentially the length of the bike (which could, in theory, present other problems).
As always, don't just replace the dead parts and call it a day--when your charging system fails, you need to examine every part of it to make sure you didn't have weaknesses elsewhere as well. This means examining all connectors, ground connections and even the wires themselves. This would also be a good time to replace all of the wires and eliminate the stator connector.
Ciao,